The Contract
by Kay Hau
Summary: The Teen Titans have a new mission: find missing, maybe kidnapped, teenager Jake Long. Little do they know they are really searching for the American Dragon, who has been forced into a contract with the most dreadful of all dark magical creatures, the Dark Dragon. And time is fast running out as war approaches.
1. Chapter 1

"Don't do it, Jakey!"

"Stop, Jake! It's not worth it!"

"No! No no no!"

"Do you wish me to continue, young dragon…?"

Screams, echoing. Trixie's sobs, Spud's whimpers, Haley's shrieks. His grandfather's shouts and pounding, somewhere too far off to help.

A golden goblet, being held out to him ever so casually. The black claw attached to it holding it so delicately and carelessly, it might fall at any moment.

"Stop!" his own voice begged, and the cave fell into silence. Falling to all fours, then the ground, lowering his massive head submissively. "Please! I'll do anything – just stop! Stop hurting them!"

"Your flame, young dragon."

"What?" That didn't make sense…

"Set the goblet's nectar aflame, then drink."

"… What…?"

"Don't do it, kid!" shouted out Fu Dog's voice. Sounded so strange, like it was underwater...

"Do it," whispered the Dark Dragon's deep, commanding voice.

"Your dragon flame is linked to your core, Jake!" screamed his grandfather, pounding on the barrier helplessly. "Don't you dare!"

He took the goblet in his shaking claws, glancing up at the Dark Dragon's merciless black eyes for an explanation he knew he wouldn't get. To his surprise…

"It is an ancient contract, Jake Long. From before the creation of parchment or other man's writing materials. The initiator of the contract would light the goblet aflame, and the flame would be transformed into nectar. The acceptor of the contract would add his own flame to the nectar and drink, completing the contract."

"A contract? Didn't you want me dead?"

"Shall I continue with my… entertainment… while you consider your options?"

The dark shadows encroached on his best friends and baby sister. Their pale faces and bloodstained figures…

He would kill them anyway. They all knew it. Their eyes all cried the same truth, the deepest core of their argument for why the American Dragon should not to give in to his tormentor. There was no point. He could save no one.

Or could he…?

"A contract involves two parties," the young dragon said decisively, with courage and strength he felt none of. Before he thought any further, he breathed out a fireball and lit the purple liquid. It instantly turned into a swirling gold. Closing his eyes, and ignoring the screams and cries for him to stop, he drank.

And promptly collapsed, just barely conscious. Through a deep fog, he observed the rest of the proceedings as though watching a silent film.

The Dark Dragon laughing in delight, heading over to his friends and sister and holding out a claw to strike them… Then a look of puzzlement, shortly followed by rage, and quickly followed by laughter again.

"Well played, young dragon," the words echoed in his head, as if in a dream. "You added your own restrictions to the contract. But, in the end, I still win."

…

"A kidnapped kid? Seriously, Batman? Your first call in _ever_, and it's to tell the Teen Titans to catch some runaway and/or kidnapped kid?"

"Yes."

Robin sighed, feeling like banging his head against the computer counsel.

"Why?"

"That is classified."

"Of course it is. What _will_ you tell me?"

"The boy is named Jake Long. Do the research yourself."

….

"So you didn't tell them?"

"How could I? The Dragon Council specifically ordered that we not let anyone outside of the original Justice League members in on their secret. They just want the kid returned, and they'll figure out a way around the magical contract on their own."

"Batman, please. If they're to be believed, that kid could be the spark that lights a war between dark magical creatures and all mankind. Regardless of the winner, the ending would be devastating."

"I know."

"But you entrusted the Teen Titans with this matter?"

"I believe a full scale assault on the boy would do more harm than good. We will do so only if the Teen Titans are incapable."

…

"Jacob Luke Long is fourteen years old, half-Chinese, half-Caucasian. Four-foot ten, one hundred five pounds. Full American citizen, resident of New York City, New York. Eighth grade, Fillmore Middle School, average attendance and so-so grades. Nothing notable except a couple skateboarding awards," said Robin neatly, tossing down a photograph of the teenager they'd been told to find.

The rest of the Teen Titans gathered around the photograph, passing it around as each examined it in depth. An Asian American teenager with spiky black hair with green highlights on the tips, dressed in a red jacket with a skateboard slung over his shoulder. A huge grin lit up the kid's face, his black eyes sparkling. Honestly, he looked perfectly normal.

"We've been instructed to locate the boy and attempt to speak with him. Once we have ascertained where he's staying, we are to report the situation back to Batman and the Justice League, who will take it from there."

"They don't want us to bring him in?" asked Cyborg, bewildered.

Beastboy giggled. "Maybe they think the kid's too much for us?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Obviously, there is something huge they're not telling us."

"Regardless, our responsibility is to find the kid, and for that we need info. What we got on the kid's family, Rob?" asked Cyborg.

"Younger sister Haley Long, seven years old. Straight A student, takes ballet, piano, and art classes. Mother Susan Long, professional caterer. Father Jonathan Long, financial planner. Grandfather Luong Lao Shi also lives in New York City, owns and runs an electronics shop. Apparently Jake works there most afternoons. Immediate family owns no pets, but the grandfather owns one dog, a Chinese Shar Pei named Fu."

"The father married into the mother's family? Interesting," commented Cyborg, making a note of that. Not that it was likely to be very important or anything.

"Friends?" asked Raven.

"Trixie Carter, young African American girl in the same grade, and Arthur Spudinski aka Spud, Caucasion, also same grade. The three share most of their classes and have been together for over five years, often on the same teams, in the same groups, and participating in the same contests. The girl has average grades, with exceptional talent in sports. The boy has a genius IQ but below-average grades, apparently deliberately. Unlike the other two, his physical education scores are only average. The threesome are known to go skateboarding at a local skate park every weekend and are apparently 'in' with the hip-hop crowd. Jake and Trixie are considered quite the rappers."

"Perhaps his friends might know something, if they are so close?" asked Starfire inquisitively. Certainly she would have told her friends if she was planning to run away.

"About as much as his family – or so I've been told. Apparently that's a dead end. We've been instructed to not 'waste our time with that angle'."

"So, mix it all together, and what have we got?" asked Beastboy.

"A skater-punk," said Raven dismissively. "Average intelligence, probably doesn't care for school or authority figures. Something of a rebel. Probably also an adrenalin addict and attention hog, considering the rapping and extreme sports."

"I'd add in loyal," contributed Cyborg. "He's stayed with his friends for quite a long time, and most kids would refuse to work part time at all, even for a family member."

"He looks like Robin," added Starfire, examining the photograph. "A young warrior. And he has a pretty face."

Everyone looked at her in surprise. Robin blushed, though he wasn't so sure if he approved of the comparison.

"So, athletic and possibly popular with girls," summarized Raven.

Robin wrote down their summary on a post-it he stuck on top of the full report he had, paperclipping the photograph on top. All the information was already in their computer system, but he knew from experience how useful having a hardcopy around could be.

"Any guesses as to why he's run or who took him if he was kidnapped? Or even any reasons for one over the other?" asked Cyborg, frowning at the stack in Robin's hands. Something wasn't adding up here.

"Considering how ambiguous the Batman was over that question, I'd say a bit of both," concluded Robin. "Probably he was threatened to go along with something."

"I get it!" said Beastboy, eyes widening. "Like when the hero chooses to work for the bad guy rather than let his loved ones get hurt!"

Everyone's eyes turned towards Robin, whose own narrowed at this further comparison between himself and this Jake Long. He'd never be able to forget Slade cornering him into being his apprentice, even without Beastboy's reminder.

"Extremely unlikely to be anything of the sort," Robin said dismissively. "There's no record that he's any sort of metahuman or genius, and there's nothing in his files about any sorts of talents those sorts would be interested in. More likely he got mixed in with the wrong crowd."

"So why'd the Batman pull us in on this then? There has to be _something_ special about this kid. And what's with those wacky instructions anyway?" asked Beastboy, practically exploding with curiosity. He made a good point though.

They all thought for a moment, Raven eventually coming up with the perfect solution.

"It must be linked to a case in Gotham the Batman's working on. Probably the kid's fallen into working for one of its famous crime organizations, and the Batman wants the kid to give us inside information, maybe even use him to get to someone further up the chain."

"Of course," agreed Starfire. "We would not want to interfere with such an intricate plan. It is regrettable the Batman had not simply told us as much."

Robin almost snorted, but caught himself. _The_ Batman didn't trust anybody, of _course_ he wouldn't trust them with a plan to take down one of Gotham's criminal kingpins. It was incredible that he was even trusting them to root out a possible source.

Cyborg noticed the tenseness in Robin's frame and decided it was a good time to wrap up their meeting. "Sounds good, everyone. Let's grab lunch, then come up with a list of places to search for the kid. He's probably here in Jump, since the Bat called us in on this."

"Agreed," said Robin. The rest nodded and got up from their seats.

…

Jake looked around carefully before slinking under a fence and towards a cave in the side of one of the mountains outside Jump City. He was in his human form and had snuck out to check out what the city had to offer in the way of teen entertainment.

The Dark Dragon would _so_ not approve.

But he was _so_ bored.

Why were they even so close to a human city? Surely the Dark Dragon should _know_ that Jake would sneak out if they got close enough where the contract wouldn't injure Jake if he slipped away for a bit.

Ever since he'd woken up after accepting the goblet, he'd followed the Dark Dragon across the country to various magical hot spots, collecting the darker magical denizens and any with whom the idea of a war with humans rang sweetly. They'd avoided major metropolises like the plague.

Pah, the big double-D probably was afraid the AmDrag would talk his new followers out of the war. As if he could. The contract forbade it.

If not for that damn contract, he woulda been outta here first day! With Fu Dog working on some sort of antidote to that freaky contract potion, the Dark Dragon woulda been running away with his tail between his legs…!

But no, instead he found himself the Dark Dragon's pet. The first word spoken to him on regaining consciousness, thousands of miles from NYC in some secluded mountain range, had been "Kneel." And he had, despite how he raged about such an action inside his head. That was before the resignation. And the depression.

By this point, about a month and a half since that night in the cavern, he'd come to a much greater understanding of the power the contract had over him. Exactly what demands of him the Dark Dragon had placed into the contract.

He had to obey the Dark Dragon's every spoken word to the letter. He could not stray more than a five mile radius from his new 'master', otherwise he'd get these terrible cramps that only increased in pain as the distance grew. He could not speak to any magical creature unless ordered otherwise, and he was completely incapable of making any attempt to contact his family or friends.

It was a stroke of luck that he'd discovered he could still transform into a human and communicate with them, even if he was unable to tell them anything about himself.

It was another stroke of luck that he'd discovered his desperate attempt to add his own conditions to the contract had worked. The Dark Dragon was _not_ able to order him to kill anyone, nor could he kill anyone himself! And his family and friends were still safe – he'd overheard Councilor Chang, the dirty traitor!, arguing about that with the Dark Dragon. Apparently the Dark Dragon, to his followers' complete shock, had ordered that the Longs, Fu Dog, Trixie, and Spud, were 'untouchable' and anyone who went against his order would be considered traitors and placed on the execution list.

He was pretty sure the Dark Dragon had found a few dozen ways to kill people around Jake's restriction in the contract. The easiest of which was just making one of his followers do it. Jake hadn't thought that through enough in the second between coming up with the idea and gulping down the contents of the goblet. But it was still hilarious to see the Dark Dragon splutter and rage as he slashed his great claws at an opponent, only for them to halt a hairsbreadth from the throat.

Outside the current hideout, Jake stretched and transformed back into his dragon form. It was becoming easier and easier every day, no longer requiring any real concentration at all. As if _this_ was his true form, rather than his human body. As if these powers, this magical form, was the truth – not the body he'd 'coincidentally' been born in.

Perhaps that very point was what the Dark Dragon was trying to prove to Jake by having all the dragons on his side parade around in their dragon forms 24/7. Further solidifying the divide between themselves and humans as they prepared for war.

Yeah, he could do without the training for war. Apparently the Dark Dragon intended Jake to be one of his top commanders. And while he could not order Jake to kill anyone, he could _train_ him to kill anyone. So he did, to Jake's horror and disgust.

Another reason he _had_ to escape to spend some time with humans the first chance he got. Even as the Dark Dragon's voice, lecturing him on the quickest and cleanest way to kill the 'inferior' beings, echoed through his head.

A small voice in his head wondered if this was how Rose had felt, being forced to work for the Huntsclan.

A stronger, angrier voice raged that Rose had always had a choice, even if she hadn't believed she did. He would've stolen her away from the Huntsclan without all that drama, had she let him. He would've protected her from anything they could've dished out. She wasn't under some freaky magical contract binding her very _soul_ to her evil master! And the Huntsman was peanuts next to the Dark Dragon anyway.

Maybe that was a little unfair, but he was past caring. Rose was gone anyway. He'd been alone that way even before the Dark Dragon came along with his stupid goblet.

"Did you have fun?" asked a deep voice behind Jake as he slipped through the entrance to the cavern.

Jake flinched and whipped around. "Say, what?" he exclaimed, his slang slipping in with his surprise. "Who could have any fun in this dark hole you-"

"Kneel," came the order.

Jake yelped as he slammed to the ground, all fours bent as deep as they could, his head bowing low. No matter how many times that happened, it still caught him off guard.

"And show more respect. You went to the city, young dragon."

Oh, crap. He had totally guessed right. So not happy…

"Did you have fun?" the voice continued, deeply sarcastic and malicious.

_Ah, man…_ thought Jake, even as his mouth opened and he said, "Yes, master."

"Where did you go?"

Flinch. _Do I hafta…?_

The Dark Dragon merely waited. The contract would only allow so much delay.

"I went into the human city, master. Somewhere I should not have been. I apologize."

"Don't apologize unless you mean it," growled the Dark Dragon. "More specific, now. Where did you go that was so fun?"

There was a long pause as the young dragon fought the affects of the contract.

"I hit the skatepark," he finally mumbled.

The Dark Dragon held out a claw and a glowing deep purple orb appeared above it.

Jake glanced up and groaned at the sight of himself within that orb, playing at the skatepark not even an hour ago, showing off his skills, flirting with pretty girls, picking a fight with some punks – and winning, of course. There was little need to take a beating in a city on the other side of the country from the place he called home.

A chill ran down Jake's spine. His escape, his tiny bit of rebelliousness, his private time… the Dark Dragon knew it all. And maybe had been watching the whole time. He hadn't really escaped at all.

"You did not attempt to make any friends," stated the Dark Dragon thoughtfully.

_Of course not!_ thought Jake heatedly. What was he supposed to do if anyone started asking where he was from or what school he went to? He could not allow _anything_ to get remotely personal.

"I'll allow it," concluded his master.

Jake's head jerked up in shock. "Wha - ? Did you - ?"

"It could even be considered reconnaissance. You were planning to 'hit' some clubs and parties, I presume?"

"Uh…" Having his plans spelled out so bluntly was a little embarrassing.

"Good. I'll have a list of names and photographs of people I'd like you to attempt contact with."

"Seriously?" Jake was having a seriously hard time following all this.

"Of course, young dragon. I have long planned this very matter as your first mission. You'll receive further information as needed."

Crap. How could he foil an evil plot, while still obeying his master's every word, while he didn't know the whole plan?

"The… those you wish me to contact… are human?"

"Mostly."

"I thought…"

"I desired the extermination of the human race? Not entirely. A rare few possess noteworthy abilities. They have their uses."


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't the same. It wasn't the same. It wasn't the same.

Jake had come here to forget. Back home, he'd often had fun as an escape from various stressors, namely his work as the American Dragon, the guardian of all the local magical creatures. He'd been the king of the skatepark, for goodness' sake! He'd been voted Homecoming King, when he wasn't even on any school teams! He was actually known for his freestyle rapping, often during class and at the expense of their more ridiculous teachers…

He used to _live_ for the sound of his name being chanted. He would revel in the feeling of the spotlight, the knowledge that he was the center of attention. He actually had a rather poor record of bad dates and ditching family, friends, and responsibilities for just that feeling.

What was so different? What had him leaning against the back wall in a dark corner instead of showing off in the center of the dance floor?

It wasn't that this wasn't his beloved NYC. He'd lived it up on vacations, even around the world, and even in the skatepark that very morning.

Which meant it couldn't be his lack of friends or family, either. Much as he hated to remind himself what a jerk he could be, he'd certainly never needed them to have a good time.

The simple reason he was not having fun was that he was _supposed_ to be. That his 'fun' was no longer an escape, but part of his job, an expectation of him. A requirement, an obligation he could not escape. As further drilled into his head with the knowledge that the Dark Dragon could be watching him at this very moment. At _any_ moment.

As, again, had been proved to him this morning. Looking back, he couldn't believe he had been so foolish. Since he only felt something from the contract when he reached a certain distance, he'd assumed the Dark Dragon wouldn't even notice he wasn't in their current lair. That he'd assume the young dragon was training or sulking in his room.

Well, honestly, it was rather stupid of him to think he could outsmart a creature thousands of years old, just because he'd caught the monster off guard a couple times in the past.

It stung to lower his 'victories' to just that, but he finally admitted to himself that he'd never actually 'defeated' the monster he called master. If he had, the insane incarnation of evil would NOT have come back.

Which meant his gramps had failed too. Maybe his gramps had put the monster out of commission for a handful of decades… but what did that really mean in the long run? As his gramps became an old man, and the monster came back stronger and smarter than ever? Who had really lost?

A stabbing pain went through Jake's head, and any doubt that his master was watching him at this very moment was removed. Not only was he watching, but he was annoyed at Jake's lack of action.

"Fine!" he growled softly, so low and deep no one could possibly have heard the inhuman sound over the throbbing beat and blaring lyrics.

He closed his eyes for a second, quickly refreshing the photographs of the young humans the Dark Dragon wanted him to speak to in his mind. Then he opened his eyes, pushed off the wall, and made his way to the first cute, unattached girl his eyes fell on.

Giving himself over to the throbbing rhythm and practiced movements, and secretly glad the music was far too loud for any conversation, he danced. From partner to partner, and occasionally taking, but never stealing, the spotlight. Just enough to get noticed, not enough to remembered in any detail.

Just as the relief started to set in that none of the humans on his master's list were here, she came in.

She was cute enough that it wasn't too much of an act to put his flirt-face on. And she certainly caught the eye, what with the pink hair styled into horns, the huge pink cat's eyes, and the purple pixie outfit (minus the wings). He honestly wasn't sure _what _she was, not that it mattered since his master had told him what to say. Apparently she was something of a mercenary, so no big.

Certainly nothing worth crying over, like dragging an innocent into this sort of life.

He allowed their eyes to meet, and winked.

Her smile dropped into an annoyed scowl, the her eyes swiped over him and suddenly brightened, glowing slightly.

Well, she certainly recognized an invite when she saw it.

He smirked with no humor behind it and left the dance floor, feeling her eyes on him all the way towards the back exit and into a dingy alley.

Man, how cliché can you get? So not cool.

She followed him.

"Are you…?" she began, in a surprised tone.

Jake held out his right arm and allowed it to shift back into his dragon's foreclaw.

The pink-haired girl's eyes widened and absolutely sparkled.

"A dragon!" she gasped in awe. "But I'd thought…"

"_He_ has a job for you," Jake said simply.

Honestly, the girl would only look more like a pixie if she was six inches tall with wings. He half-expected her to jump up and down clapping her hands in joy.

"By 'him', you mean…?" she prompted eagerly.

"Would else could order a dragon around?" growled Jake, getting irritated. And he knew why.

Part of him had wanted her to be disgusted at the thought of working for that monster. Not excited. He'd rather have had her spit in his face for even thinking she'd do such a thing.

She smirked mischievously, taking his comment as a challenge. "I could name a few. Myself being one," she raised a hand glowing with pink energy.

Jake felt that stab through his head that meant the Dark Dragon's disapproval. It must've shown in his eyes, because the girl lowered her hand and almost looked concerned for a second. But she masked her face so quickly behind mischievous indifference that he was sure he'd imagined it.

"I'll give you the directions. Do you need a pen or something?"

She gave him a 'Wow, you're new at this, aren't you?' look.

"Or…" she began teasingly, "you can just fly me there now."

…

Jinx smirked as the dragon froze, his human form stiff. She'd heard they were proud creatures who felt humans beneath them, so of course he would bristle at the suggestion, but she couldn't resist the chance at a ride dragonback!

"I was just told to try make contact," mumbled the dragon, looking frustrated. He folded his arms and glared at the ground. "So if you've got a problem, you better tell me now," he growled, seemingly to himself.

Jinx frowned. "Problem? Why would I have a - ?"

"Not you!" exclaimed the dragon, sounding irritated. "Just wait a sec!" He stared at nothing, then shrugged.

"Looks like he's fine with that."

Wait… he was fine with this?

The boy stretched and there was a sudden burst of heat and a swirl of flames, a red flare that lasted half a second. In that split second that the flames took, the boy's form changed entirely from human to a European-style red dragon, very wide and large with huge wings and a row of green spikes down his back. The large creature lowered himself enough for her to climb up.

Jinx just stared.

"You getting on or what?" asked the dragon, sounding bored. Jinx found it very strange that he still had the same voice, even down to that bit of an accent. What was that, New York?

"You're really fine with this?" asked Jinx, even as she swung up, not ready to give up this possibly once in a lifetime chance.

"Not the first time," commented the dragon, almost casually. "My friends - ow!" He was suddenly cut off with that exclamation of pain. She actually felt his body flinch, then stiffen.

"Dragon?"

"Nothing," growled the red dragon, taking off.

Jinx tried to make conversation a few times, but the dragon didn't even bother replying more than a grumble or grunt.

Seeing he wasn't paying any attention to her, she quickly glanced at the tiny transmitter she had activated when she'd caught his eye back in the club. It wasn't common knowledge yet that she'd switched loyalties, especially since she hadn't accepted a Titans communicator or a post on any team. So she'd actually taken advantage of the situation to try get some intel for the Titans and the Justice League, especially the hard to come by kind… like the movements of the Dark Dragon.

Honestly, she was actually surprised she had been approached at all by a dragon. They were notorious for their rule of absolute secrecy about the magical world, to the exclusion of all humans. They tolerated wizards and the like, true, but certainly never trusted them.

And the Dark Dragon was an extremist even among their kind. It was rumored that the monster was actually plotting the extermination of the human race, apparently nursing a millenniums-old grudge.

…

The dragons' hideout was right outside the city limits, so it was only a few minutes at a steady pace before Jinx felt a shift in the dragon below her as he angled his wings and tail to start lowering and slowing down. He tapped down rather elegantly, either a very smooth flyer, or perhaps very considerate. He had mentioned allowing riders before…

"You okay?" he asked, sounding a little puzzled at her lack of movement. "Not sick, are you?"

Considerate, then. How weird. It sounded genuine, even a little clumsy too.

"I'm fine," she replied honestly. Inside, she kind of wanted to squeal about how great it had been – beautiful, smooth, yet with this sense of security and power. She might have given into the impulse, but the red dragon suddenly tensed and whipped around.

Jinx had faced truly evil beings before. People with no qualms about murder and torture. Monsters who killed for fun, who would do absolutely anything to achieve their twisted goals.

But nothing had ever frozen her in place in terror and horror. She couldn't even gasp or whimper as an absolutely enormous black dragon, literally crackling with evil power, eyes glowing and malicious. He was easily three, maybe four, times the size of the red dragon.

Sensing she was frozen, the red dragon shifted his muscles and weight so she found herself sliding down his side, noticeably the side further from the Dark Dragon. That small consideration jolted her back to reality. Who and what she was supposed to be. The red dragon was supporting her weight against his side, so she abruptly pushed off to stand proudly on her own feet, hoping she wasn't shaking too obviously.

The red dragon glanced around to check on her before turning back to face the much larger, more powerful dragon.

"Bow," ordered a deep, echoing voice. Jinx's eyes flinched forward, too shocked to respond, only to see that he was addressing the red dragon. The younger dragon had immediately lowered his head nearly to the ground in a subservient gesture.

"Faster next time," ordered the deep voice.

"Yes, master. I apologize for any delay." The words were spoken with respect, but there was an underlying tension that really didn't make any sense.

"Carry things in your claws, not on your back. Preserve your dignity as a dragon."

"Yes, master."

Jinx frowned at being called a thing, but was too interested in what was going on to interrupt.

"Go train."

"Yes, master," replied the young red dragon again, raising his head and immediately heading into the cave.

"And, dragon?"

The red dragon seemed to tense, darting back a glare that seemed to scream a purely teenage 'WHAT?'

"Well done."

The red dragon glared, then turned and continued down into the cave.

"New apprentice?" asked Jinx, smirking, only to yelp when a huge claw slammed into her, bashing her to the ground.

"None of your business, witch!" the monster growled.

Jinx forced herself to be brave.

"Jinx. I'm a jinx, not a witch."

"Whatever, human," scoffed the enormous dragon, but he removed his claw and stepped back.

He continued, "I have heard about you, human. Are you willing to take the job?"

"Depends," casually replied Jinx, sitting up and making a point of not pressing a hand to her aching chest. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd busted a couple of her ribs with that last move. "What's the pay?"

"Your life," laughed the dragon, swiping a claw towards her.

This time she saw it come and had time to dodge aside. "Not enough," she replied, in a sing-song voice. "We all die sometime anyway. I want to live large, not long." She let out just a small arc of her power and smirked as it struck the ground at the dragon's feet. He stumbled from the unexpected tremor as the ground quaked and split.

The Dark Dragon let loose a deep growl, then turned, gesturing her to follow him into the cave.

As they started through a second tunnel after the initial entry forked, he spoke again.

"I had heard you had a taste for magical artifacts. Particularly jewelry."

"That's more like it," said Jinx softly, allowing the smirk to almost turn into a smile of delight.

…

_Hope you guys like it so far! Would love to hear what you think! Not sure where I want to go with this yet, so feel free to send all the comments and suggestions you want. Yes, I am willing to make this a more dark story than you would usually see in an American Dragon story, but I always try for a happy ending! This is also my first attempt at American Dragon fanfiction, so feel free to let me know if I'm making any character errors. Ah, and yes, we'll be getting back to the Teen Titans next chapter. _


	3. Chapter 3

Jake hated his training for the Dark Dragon. Way, way more than even his grandfather's painful and often disgusting training methods. (Cleaning toilet bowls with his tongue? He still felt like throwing up at the memory.)

None of those had been remotely close to his current training on the disgusting scale, though. None of those involved magical dummies that actually screamed, cursed, and bled. At least they melted into nothing after they 'died'.

And the worst part of all: he was getting used to it. Though he'd never admit to enjoying it, he couldn't say there was _no_ adrenaline or stress relief involved.

Honestly, it should probably scare him that this was becoming routine. No longer did he hesitate to go for the throat to end those maddening screams. No longer did he pay the slightest attention to the shrieks of "Monster!" and "Murderer!" No longer did the smell, taste, or sight of blood and death force him to his knees in crippling sickness and give him nightmares.

It should scare him. It should terrify him how much the Dark Dragon had managed to change him in just a couple months. It should make his master's claims of turning him into a 'real' dragon all the more plausible.

But it didn't. Because any such feelings had been buried deep under ever increasingly deep feelings of hatred.

Now, as he mercilessly tore apart mannequins of humans and 'good' magical creatures, he was effectively deaf and blind to what he was being trained for, to what anyone not knowing he was fighting creations of a powerful dark spell would be thinking.

He moved with grace, instinct, and power only matched by a handful of other dragons. No other creature could possibly match a dragon, the true kings of the ancient world – and, if the Dark Dragon had his way, the future. No longer did a single one of the Dark Dragon's followers or advisors question his choice to recruit the famous (or infamous, depending who you were talking to) American Dragon.

With such great power, which it was a wonder no one had really paid attention to before, it was only a matter of time before the American Dragon's "restrictions" to the contract became null and void. Surely he would make his first true kill, by his own will, any day now. He had already threatened and very nearly acted on such to several of the Dark Dragon's more outspoken advisors.

Like the one that suggested teaching the young dragon (i.e. 'forcing him to learn and practice') dark magic.

Which Jake had turned out to be a natural at. Even now, he didn't even need to come out of his self-induced rage-filled trance to raise his claws and swipe the downwards, sending purple energy charging outwards and erupting into explosive black and blue flames. The extreme opposite of his natural yellow and red flames. Instantly, every one of the magical dolls died, not even given the chance to fight, run, or scream.

The dark wizards in charge of the training room actually exchanged worried looks. The red dragon flew impatiently in circles as he awaited more dolls, which the wizards scurried to provide.

"A natural-born killer, that one," commented one, wincing as the dragon let out an irritated, echoing growl that echoed around the enormous cavern.

"Quite majestic though," replied another. "I'll be proud to call him prince after our victory!"

"Me? I'm actually looking forward to watching him _during_ the war! I wonder if I can request to be in his division?" chatted the last eagerly.

…

Jinx sat smirking on the edge of a parapet on a roof a couple buildings down from the museum. Easily within view were the giant posters advertising the latest exhibit, a giant sapphire claimed to have supernatural powers.

All garbage, of course, which Jinx knew perfectly well. Especially since she was currently playing with said gemstone, tossing it in the air and catching it casually while she waited.

"You have to find a better way of contacting us when you're under surveillance," said a familiar, slightly irritated voice from behind her.

Even though she'd been expecting Robin to pop out of nowhere, she still gave a bit of a jump and almost missed catching the rock on its way down. Naturally she tried to play it off, acting like she'd heard him a mile off.

She smirked and tossed the sapphire to Robin, who caught and stashed it in a hidden pocket inside his cloak in a rather masterful sleight of hand.

"I've got a _big_ one!" she chirped cheerily.

The leader of the Teen Titans folded his arms over his chest. "Of course you do."

Jinx scowled. "Why does that sound so sarcastic?"

Robin sighed and shook his head, forcing his posture to relax somewhat.

"Sorry. It wasn't meant to. We've just got a big case and haven't gotten any real leads yet. Was actually planning to call you in on it, but if you're serious about something big, then…"

"Not just 'big', Robin! This is BIG, as in HUGE! I'm sure it blows whatever you're working on out of the water!" She was absolutely giddy with excitement.

Robin waited instead of playing her game any more.

After a couple seconds, Jinx couldn't hold it in any more. "I was recruited by the Dark Dragon himself!"

"… Who?"

Jinx's mouth dropped open. Well, okay, yeah it wasn't exactly common knowledge, but she'd been sure Batman's protégé would know! The look on Robin's face wasn't mocking though, but completely serious. Knowing this must be serious.

She took a deep breath.

"Okay, I guess this sort of knowledge is more geared to those with connections to the magical community. For a long time, literally decades, it was thought the Dark Dragon was dead. He's considered the greatest, strongest, most purely evil dragon to ever exist, and there are legends of his evil going back over four thousand years…" She launched into a quick summary of the Dark Dragon's reign of terror, his vow to exterminate mankind, his belief that dragons were superior beings that deserved to rule the world, and his recent reappearance within the last year.

Robin frowned, his arms folded across his chest. His fingers tapped against his arm as he processed all that Jinx had told him. There was no reason to doubt any of her intel, and less reason to doubt her character given recent events, so indeed… this was huge. And going on right under their noses, and possibly under the Justice League's as well. Regardless of how deep a trap and reason Batman needed this Jake Long kid for, surely a universal , multi-dimensional, magical war between good and evil – with evil's goal being the eradication of humankind – trumped a 'search and locate' order. This most assuredly would become, should become, top priority for all heroes globally.

Jinx was sitting on the parapet again, legs swinging. Seeing she had Robin's attention again, she nodded and continued her story, now going on to her 'recruitment'.

"I made contact at the big party on 7th Avenue – or rather, he made contact with me. They were looking for me, and others like me, must have a list or something. Anyway, this cute Asian-looking guy waved me over and I recognized a job offer immediately, so I…"

Robin raised a hand to interrupt. His ears had pricked at the mention of an Asian teen. An Asian teen that girls would label 'cute' and would fit in at the craziest party in a big city.

"Describe him, please."

Jinx frowned at Robin's interest, but complied. She held a hand about chin height. "Not very tall. Spiky black hair, green tips, black eyes. New York accent, red jacket…"

Robin interrupted her again, this time by flipping out a photograph from a hidden pocket in his cape.

"This him?"

Jinx's eyes widened, the answer obvious even before she spoke. "That's him! That's the red dragon the Dark Dragon sent to contact me! Why do you…?"

"Batman told us to locate this teenager, top priority. Locate, but not contact." He frowned. "Said absolutely nothing about dragons, though now I'm fairly sure the Justice League isn't as ignorant of your information as we might have thought."

"I knew something was up," thought Jinx aloud, staring at the photo that couldn't be more than a few months old. "He seemed… forced. So _angry_." Her fingers went to the face of the boy in the photo, the bright smile, the sparkling eyes, the magnetic personality that shone through. She never would've dreamed the dragon she'd met earlier today could smile so happily. Look so… normal. Human.

"We better get back to the Tower," said Robin firmly, seriously. "You'll need to deliver your report to Batman before continuing your recon."

Jinx nodded and the two slipped into the darkness.

…

Jake felt the ache in his mind accompanied by the pull from the direction of his master that meant he was being summoned. He growled deep in his throat, a monstrous sound that would've made his master proud, and reluctantly leveled his aching draconian body off the enormous mattress that served as his bed.

He'd been curled up like a dog, and his stiff muscles cracked as he stretched before stalking away in the direction of the summons. His mind grumbled and cursed, having been stirred from a deep sleep he much needed after his exhaustive training session. What could the master want now? And why couldn't he wait until tomorrow or at least a couple more hours!

Not that he really expected such consideration from the Dark Dragon. He was just a slave after all. This was all just some twisted form of revenge for the few times Jake had bested him, and maybe an insult to his gramps for the Dark Dragon's near demise so many decades ago.

He turned the last corner, knowing and sensing his master's presence without needing to lay eyes on the beast, so familiar he was with that incredibly dark aura.

Without needing to be told, he respectfully knelt, lowering his forelegs and bowing his great head nearly to the ground. It just wasn't worth the fight. He'd just be forced to kneel or bow anyway.

He heard an approving rumble from the Dark Dragon, strangely not mocking, but almost proud.

Jake didn't even have it in him to frown, simply waiting patiently for whatever orders he was to be given. Which he'd be forced to do anyway.

" [Blood Prince Fire Dragon], welcome," began the Dark Dragon.

Jake's ears twitched in confusion. He slowly raised his head slightly, and sure enough the dragon was addressing him.

Jake's confused eyes met his master's, which gave away no hint, but were obviously waiting for a reaction.

Then it hit him. _Ah, man. Now that's just cruel_, though Jake. _It's an ownership thing, isn't it. Change my identity, make me his._

"Do you have a question, [Blood Prince]?" asked the Dark Dragon, his voice emotionless, but obviously waiting.

Waiting for Jake to explode in anger, to rage that he _already had_ a name, a perfectly good name, given to him by his parents, carrying the legacy of his family. As well as a title. Jacob Luke Long, the American Dragon. He _had_ a name!

But Jake stilled his tongue and temper.

He took a moment to compose himself, which wasn't so hard considering his exhaustion and depression at the moment. Then he asked only one question.

"What does it mean, master?"

"[Blood Prince Fire Dragon]. Blood, for you shall be a spiller of that of your enemies. Prince, for you shall be my greatest general. Fire, for that is your essence and your element, and those who know your name shall not forget it."

Jake wasn't sure whether to be bewildered, enraged, or genuinely curious.

"A murderer," he finally growled softly.

"A warrior," corrected his master.

"A general?"

"_My_ general."

"And how is my flame any different than any other dragon's?" asked Jake, finally giving in to his habitual sarcasm. Not believing for one second that he was really special in any way other than having once been a thorn in his master's side.

"Lao Shi never explained the heritage of a true red dragon? Tell me, [Blood Prince], how many red dragons do you know?"

Jake hesitated as he thought that over, his initial retort of 'How could that matter?' dying when he realized…

"None," he replied, confused.

"Have you ever realized the correlation between the color and strengths of a dragon? Or did Lao Shi also keep such knowledge from you?"

Jake growled, but was ignored.

"How the darker colors are vastly more powerful than the lighter. How the elemental magics are related. Blue dragons favor water and ice and are known for breathing underwater. Yellow dragons favor the wind and are exceptionally quick flyers. Brown dragons favor the earth, green favors vegetation, and purples – such as Lao Shi – have an unusually acute affinity to non-elemental magic, such as spell crafting, teleportation, and fortune telling. The red dragons are the only ones able to claim a true affinity to fire."

Jake stared at him, startled but not disbelieving, for it truly made sense with what he'd observed himself. So why had his gramps never told him?

"As for why Lao Shi never mentioned such, would've doubtless have _lied_ if you'd ever asked about colors and strengths… I'm quite sure he was afraid."

Jake wanted to deny it fiercely, but something inside him had frozen.

"You see, [Blood Prince], the greatest of [Fire] Dragons inevitably become Dark Dragons."

"Liar!" hissed Jake immediately, claws suddenly digging fiercely into the ground.

"Have you truly not noticed your own change in color since mastering the dark arts, [Blood Prince]? You are truly a Fire Dragon now, a bringer of hell and damnation to wicked humanity. A god."

"No!" shouted Jake angrily, denying it even as he lifted his claws to glare at them – eager to prove his master wrong – sure he would see his favorite cherry red scales. The bright, cheerful red that matched his favorite jacket, his skateboard, his very identity as the spirited and occasionally rebellious American Dragon. He often thought of himself as 'fiery' before, but it had always been meant as a compliment. Feisty, determined, energetic, strong-willed…

Instead, he found himself staring at a deep maroon, the color of dried blood. And his mind blanked.

"Th-This… this i-isn't…"

"No, Fire Dragon. A deepening of color is not reversible," said the Dark Dragon, this time the deep humor clear in his voice, mocking and victorious. He voice confident and sure.

And part of Jake, a core part of who Jake Long was, died.

The Dark Dragon smiled as he watched the younger dragon's eyes grow dull and hollow in shock at the loss of identity and the realization he would never regain what he'd once had. That he would never again be the innocent, bright, spirited, likable hero. That any elder dragon, maybe even any magical creature, would know at a glance that he'd been tainted by dark magic.

He decided to deliver the final blow, rising and sauntering over to the young dragon's side. The dragon didn't show any signs of even noticing, still staring at his foreclaws in horror.

"The American Dragon is dead, [Blood Prince]. Jake Long is no more. You are a Blood Prince, the Fire Dragon. And you belong to the darkness."

"N-no!" shouted Jake, spinning and back stepping away, shaking his head. "I didn't agree to this! I didn't - !"

"You did."

"I did NOT!"

"You partook of the contract. You've learned the dark arts. You have abandoned your guardianship of magical creatures and betrayed the trust of the Dragon Council."

The young dragon was physically shaking from the shock.

"I had no choice!" he tried, one last, dying protest.

"According to your own spirit, [Blood Prince], you did. You dragon soul has already chosen its side. You belong to darkness. To _me_."

"NO!" roared Jake, jolting out of his frozen shock and lunging forward in rage, claws crackling with power, extended to swipe at his master.

Which the contract forbade, so it was with the greatest of ease that the Dark Dragon grabbed both extended claws with his own and held them, watching the crackling, black energy with knowing pride.

Jake looked down at what his master, his _enemy_, was staring at, and a sob broke from his throat. He rear legs gave out and he fell weakly to the ground, held up only by his master's grip on his claws. _His claws_, blood-colored and with wicked black flames swirling around them, flaring with the same dark aura as the monster before him. That disgustingly familiar, monstrous, bloodthirsty, _evil_ aura.

The Dark Dragon eyed him appraisingly. The huge eyes staring at his own claws, staring even after the black flames dwindled and faded to nothing. The visible trembling. The boneless limbs. He let go and the young dragon collapsed to the ground.

"I called you here to discuss your next mission, [Blood Prince], but I believe it can wait some hours. You have much to meditate on."

…

_Author's notes: _

_Honestly, guys, I did not expect to include that last part until much later in the story – but it just seemed to fit so well right here! Hope you agree with me and don't think I'm taking things too fast!_

_THE NAME: I'm having some trouble with Jake's dark name [Blood Prince Fire Dragon], and would love some help from you guys! Should I just leave it in English, or try changing it to a different language? I thought maybe Chinese, in honor of Jake's heritage, and it came to _Xuè Wángzǐ Huǒ Lóng_ according to online sources – which might not work, since then he'd still have the same surname, which the Dark Dragon would surely take from him to remove his connection to his family and especially his grandfather._

_Basically, you guys can vote for three different choices here. 1) Different language, and please give me a translation. 2) Leave in brackets, assume some dark draconian tongue, or maybe some ancient dialect. Or 3) remove brackets and just leave in English. **THERE IS A POLL UP FOR THIS ON MY PROFILE!**_

_Thanks for reading, and please review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Notes: I realized I have some inconsistencies while I was planning out future chapters! Let me clarify now and hopefully I'll get to cleaning up earlier chapters in the not-too distant future. (1) Batman's orders to the Titans were to locate AND, if feasible, attempt contact. What they were NOT supposed to do was apprehend, interrogate, or befriend Jake – basically, not do anything that could get in the way of 'the mission' or, in truth, reveal Jake's identity as a dragon to them. (2) Sorry for any confusion, but it has been approximately a month and a half, with a bit more give than take, since Jake partook of the contract with the Dark Dragon. Some characters have/will round this to two months, other may imply it's been shorter than that. I'm approximating about six and a half weeks. _

…

Jake honestly could not remember returning to his silent cavern. He could not remember laying down and falling asleep. In fact, he was pretty sure he hadn't really slept, but only closed his eyes as his thoughts continued as a confusing babble and his emotions weighed down like a murky bog. He did know that when he realized his eyes were open and he'd been staring at blank walls, he was still exhausted and hurt and confused.

It was pitch black in his cave, but his dragon eyes could still see perfectly as he pushed himself up. It was dead silent so he assumed it was very early morning and most of the Dark Dragon's nocturnal minions had gone to sleep for the day, while the others were still asleep for the night.

_Don't want to stay here_… The thought trickled into his mind, quiet and lonely and desperate. Considering it was clearer than the blurry screams of rage and muffled whimpers for help and whirling near-suicidal confusion and depression, he decided to focus on that one.

It wasn't a new thought. He'd 'escaped' several times, thus his familiarity with how far he could go before reaching the end of his leash and the throbbing pull in his mind at being summoned.

He knew, he really did, that he couldn't really run away. No matter how he tried, eventually he'd be forced to turn back.

But he had to do it again. He had to push the boundary. He would go insane if he stayed here. Thus he pushed himself onward against the exhaustion.

There were a few others wandering the caves, but they kept out of the way. They knew that, while under contract with their Lord, he was certainly capable of slaughtering any of them. Besides, none of them wanted to actually talk anyway. He was their 'Blood Prince' now, after all. A general and lord deserving of his privacy.

Thus it was within minutes that he found himself at the outside of the cavern, and the first thing he did was raise his eyes and stare upwards at the still visible stars. As he stared, almost subconsciously he spread his dark red wings, almost black in the moonlight, and leapt into the sky.

He chose a random direction and flew.

He flew out over the enormous city, nearly invisible against the night sky. Trying desperately not to think, but just feel. The tight grip of his leash began to clench at his chest. He was fast approaching the edge of his tether, but had gone nowhere near far enough.

Knowing he would soon no longer have the strength to fly, he transformed back into his human self and let himself _fall_.

…

Cyborg was bored. Usually being a superhero was exciting, never ending action and adventure. This? This was boring, tedious grudge-work. How did policemen do it?

He'd been patrolling the streets for hours. Robin had suggested (ordered) a night patrol based on their hypothesis that this kid was related to the Gotham crime scene. Meaning, if he did anything, it'd probably be at night. Thus Robin, Cyborg, and Beastboy had been assigned night patrol, with the plan that Starfire and Raven would take over once the sun rose.

But nothing. Absolutely nothing. So boring. Not even any minor thieves tonight to take his mind off things.

His cybernetic eye registered a flash of movement and he turned his gaze to a freefalling figure and a flash of red. Robin?

No, it couldn't be Robin. Too much red, no yellow or green, and the figure was falling headfirst, far too fast, arms spread wide with no attempt to gain control.

Even knowing he was too far away to prevent the inevitable, Cyborg took off for the estimated crash site, his cybernetic eye locking on the figure, zooming in, and analyzing data.

It was their target.

Damn!

As he watched and ran, ten feet from the ground, the boy tucked and flipped, righting himself with the greatest ease, no change in expression on his blank face. He slammed into the earth feet first, upright and without so much as a skip to fix his balance.

Cyborg registered the force from the impact through his feet. That fall should've shattered the boy's legs.

That was no human feat.

Cyborg stopped and turned his audio receiver way up. The boy's lips were moving, though his eyes were blank and unfocused as they gazed around him for a moment before locking on a seemingly random direction.

"Keep moving. Keep moving," the boy was whispering, as he started walking forward. "Keep moving. Keep moving. Ow!"

The boy's face twisted in pain and he grabbed the front of his jacket over his heart. Or maybe his lungs?

"Keep moving. Keeping moving…" the boy grunted, though the expression of pain remained on his face, and even seemed to intensify with every step.

Cyborg followed at a discreet distance and even increased that distance on walking past the crushed concrete where the teen had landed.

Not human. At least not a normal one. Something else was going on here.

Where had the kid come from? Where was he headed so late into the night? How had he survived that fall? And… why was he still wearing the bright red jacket he'd disappeared in?

…

Jake was past the five mile mark. The burn in his chest and strain in every muscle was proof of that. Each step further was more difficult than the last, but he knew he could go further. His leash was five miles, but his record was seven.

Today he would break that record, he vowed. Not that it would prove or change anything – he just had to fight _something_. The pain was proof of his will, his disobedience. A punishment.

"Keep moving," he repeated to himself, though the words were almost painful.

Step. Step. Step. He could do this.

Six miles. It was getting difficult to breath.

"Keep moving. Get away. Keep moving," he whispered, his voice more of a rasp.

Step. Step. Step. OW.

His hand over his chest clenched. He knew his face was twisted in pain. His jaw ached from his clenched teeth.

Step. Step. Step.

He was approaching seven miles. The muscle cramps were starting up.

Jake no longer had the breath to whisper to himself, but he continued to trudge onwards through the dark night.

At seven miles his legs failed him, locking up and spasming. For several seconds, lying flat on the ground, he couldn't breathe.

Not far enough. He forced oxygen into his fiery lungs, forcing the pain from his mind.

Then slowly, painfully, he forced himself past his previous threshold, forcing his shaking, spasming legs beneath him, pushing and clawing his way up with the help of the building alongside him.

Clinging to the building, he managed another step. And his legs promptly collapsed again. But he clung to the wall until he could feel them again.

The only sound in the world was his breath hissing into and out of his tight, stretched lungs.

One step. Two. Three. Four.

His body begging him to stop. To end this self-inflicted torture. It was stupid, testing his limits like this. There was no point. He wasn't proving anything. If he kept this up, he might very well kill himself.

That sounded heavenly…

He collapsed again. Again he climbed upright. He continued on. Step. Step. Step.

The next time he fell, there was no building he could use to climb back up. So he crawled.

He made it to the eight mile mark before his arms were spasming as badly as his insides and legs. Each painful, gasping breath did nothing for him. His spotty vision was going, his head throbbing, his body cramping.

At the eight mile mark he fell, unconscious.

…

It was peaceful. Quiet. He wasn't in pain anymore. He was laying on something soft and slightly wet… Grass? Yes, grass.

Jake blinked open his eyes, puzzled. What was going on? Last time he'd pushed himself to his limits, the Dark Dragon had done something to extend them, then summoned him back with a force he hoped never to experience again. He hadn't had any awareness whatsoever, only regaining his mind when he was once again kneeling before his master.

Right now his mind was clear, and the pain was completely gone. He was back within the radius, but how?

"You okay, kid?"

Jake frowned and sat up, looking around. His eyes fell on some half-robot guy. His eyes narrowed, but he nodded warily. This guy must've brought him back, who knows why.

The large cyborg raised his hands in a placating gesture, obviously not blind to Jake's suspicion.

"Chill, man. Saw you collapse on 15th and Broadway. Was gonna take you to a hospital, but you started getting better so I laid you down."

Jake started relaxing. Not one of the Dark Dragon's henchmen, and he hadn't been on 'the list' either. Sure, it was weird to be rescued by a cyborg, but, in all honesty… the easy slang reminded him of his friends, Trixie and Spud. Home.

A smile crept to his lips, unknown to himself. How long had it been since someone had told him to chill?

"So. You okay then? Wanna tell ol' Cyborg what happened?"

Jack laughed. He couldn't help it.

"Nah, man. I'm cool," he said, standing up and brushing off his jacket. "Not much anyone can do at this point."

"Dude. You got cancer or something?" asked the guy, Cyborg, sounding genuinely concerned.

Jake couldn't help the off-balance laugh that bubbled out of him. "Don't I wish!"

Cyborg looked almost stricken at that comment. He actually rose to his feet and set his hands on Jake's shoulders.

"Don't," he said gently, meeting the much shorter, and quite a bit younger teen's eyes. "Don't ever wish for something like that. Don't wish for death."

Jake felt his resolve slipping. It was like talking to what he imagined a big brother would be like. All his misery welled up and he fought back a childish sob.

His life was miserable. He was being forced to slave for a monster he absolutely _hated_. At the same time, he was terrified that he was becoming a monster himself. He missed his friends. His family. He desperately wanted, _needed_ someone to talk to and comfort him.

He opened his mouth, ready to spill all, and suddenly choked, unable to say a word. Not even able to breathe.

He instantly knew why. This had happened before, back when he was still trying to figure out the contract's limits.

It took a minute before his throat eased up, before he could suck in a breath to form words. Just not words that were about _him_.

"Crud," he whispered, looking up at the sympathetic older teen's worried face. He shoved the hands off his shoulders and turned to leave.

"What's wrong?"

Jake hesitated, then spoke. "Thanks, man. I just… I can't do this. But thanks."

He began to walk away, head down, shoulders slumped, hands shoved in his jacket's pockets, looking thoroughly exhausted and depressed.

"Jake!" Cyborg called out, giving into impulse. Wanting to give the kid even just the smallest trickle of hope. The power of a name was amazing.

Jake spun on his heel, looking completely shocked, even defensive. Obviously wondering how and why this guy he had just met knew his name.

Cyborg carefully kept his body language and facial expression calm and gentle.

"Don't give up, Jake."

Jake stared, the cogs in his head almost visibly ticking as he put the pieces together.

Cyborg. Jump City. Teen Titans.

Heroes. Superheroes. How he hadn't thought of that before now was probably the surest sign of his disconnect from reality.

His reaction was not what Cyborg expected.

The fourteen year old threw back his head and started laughing, almost hysterically.

This was wrong! On so many levels! _He_ was supposed to be the hero. _He_ was supposed to save the day. But no, the Dragon Council had apparently called in the Justice League to… to do what? _Save_ him?! That wasn't even possible! _Stop _the Dark Dragon? _His_ master? This, this _human_ was trying to comfort, to save, _him_?! It was too late! It wasn't _possible_! His master was _immortal, invincible_!

Jake knew something was wrong with his spiraling thoughts, but he was too hysterical to care.

Jake abruptly stopped laughing and turned a manic grin at Cyborg, the puny human hero.

Cyborg actually took a step back in alarm. The boy's eyes were actually flaming, fiery red and flickering. Not human. The word 'monster' flickered through his mind before being ruthlessly shoved back by his good sense. Reminding himself of the dazed and fearful boy of just a few minutes ago.

Then, before Cyborg's very eyes, the teen was enveloped in flames, which rapidly expanded before disappearing in a flash, revealing an enormous red dragon. Deep blood red, with flaming eyes.

"You know _nothing_, human!" hissed the dragon, still with Jake Long's voice, though now deeper and angry.

It sprang and took off into the sky.

…

_Author's Notes: Before you jump on me, yes, I am aware that, in canon, Jake doesn't have any powers in his 'human' form. Generally he has to 'bring out' his dragon form, whether in whole or more often part, before he uses his powers. I have deliberately chosen to twist that idea for this story. I was originally going to have him rebound off a building (much like Robin would), but it ended up working better to think that the Dark Dragon's training has started to affect Jake's human side. _

_Hope you enjoyed, and – as always! – please review! Also, the poll is still open, so please vote if you haven't already! _


	5. Chapter 5

Robin opened the secure link to the Batcave, encoding it so Batman would know he had someone with him and it was an urgent matter related to a current case. It was early morning in Gotham, no reason Bruce shouldn't be back yet.

Sure enough, the link connected after less than twenty seconds.

"He's a dragon," commented Robin stiffly by way of introduction.

"Yes," confirmed Batman, not even remotely trying to hide what was already known as fact. "Miss Jinx was contacted?"

"Yes," replied Robin. Jinx stood behind him at his shoulder, easily visible to the Dark Knight.

"The war preparations must be proceeding much faster than the Dragon Council anticipated," mused the Batman aloud.

"Since when have those geezers _ever_ been on time with _anything_?" interrupted Jinx. "Those scrooges still brainwash people with magic potions to keep knowledge of magical creatures secret."

Robin blinked at the sudden stiffness in Bruce's mouth. He had almost smirked at Jinx's comment, apparently in agreement.

"Mind telling us the _real_ story?" asked Robin.

"Unfortunately, the Council required us all to take a vow of silence in regards to that matter," his mentor responded, though he tilted his head in a way Robin recognized.

"But you can confirm facts we've discovered ourselves?" commented Robin, a very visible smirk on his own face.

"First, your report," ordered Batman.

Robin nodded to Jinx, who told her story of meeting the young dragon at a party and being recruited. She then pressed a button on the computer, which proceeded to play the recording and show the GPS coordinates of her dragonback ride to their hideout and subsequent conversations with both Jake and the Dark Dragon himself.

Before Robin could begin asking questions himself, his Titans communicator beeped.

"Robin! This is huge!" shouted Cyborg's voice.

"Does it have to do with our case?" asked the young leader.

"I _saw_ him, Rob! Met him, talked to him! He's a dragon, dude, and there's some seriously funky mojo going on here! Can I patch it through? I'm seriously worried about the kid!"

Robin glanced at Batman, then nodded. "Go ahead, Cyborg."

Cyborg did so, and Robin adjusted the feed so Batman could see as well.

The kid falling out of the sky, crashing perfectly fine feet first, his strange mumblings, near collapses, actual collapses. Cyborg's readings showed the obvious pain and spasms were no act.

Jinx's heart froze at the sight. Remembering the photograph of the boy. The cheerful, happy teen of a few months ago.

The boy collapsed, and Cyborg rushed to help him. Cyborg's physical readings were nearly off the scales for the boy, but when Cyborg took a few more steps forward carrying the boy, his heart actually stopped.

Cyborg quickly stepped back in shock, and the weirdest thing happened. His heart started again. A few more hurried steps back marked visible improvement. Cyborg began running back the way the boy had come, monitoring the dying teen's stats the whole way. They continued to progress for about three miles, then suddenly leaped back to normal ranges in one step.

It made no sense. Cyborg took a step back to verify, and sure enough the stats jumped, step forward, back to normal.

"He's on a leash," whispered Jinx angrily. Robin and Batman nodded, both paying close attention.

Robin leaned forward and input the GPS locations from Jinx's transmitter. A glowing circle with a five mile radius appeared.

The teenager remained unconscious, so Cyborg continued onwards to a small park, where he laid the kid down.

The frames fizzled as Cyborg fast forwarded a couple minutes, and turned up the audio from his end when the target awoke. The screen remained split, one showing a normal video recording, the other the data from Cyborg's cybernetic eye, registering heartbeat, pulse, body temperature, eye movement, etc.

Tense, relaxed, upset, angry, scared, hysterical, then…

The boy transformed, and was clearly dangerous and angry. But he flew away without any real threats.

Robin was still processing everything when Batman spoke.

"Rewind. Freeze on the full frontal view of his dragon form."

Robin leaned over and did so.

"Rewind again. I want to see his jacket."

Robin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but did so.

Silence.

"What's wrong?" asked Robin, familiar with that particular glare.

"His color does not match what we were told."

"His _color_ changed? Dragons don't change color!" exclaimed Jinx. "Maybe it's the lighting."

"That's why I wanted to see his jacket," replied Batman.

There was such a huge difference between the bright, flashy red of the jacket and the deep maroon of the dragon's scales that Jinx was silenced.

"Regardless," continued the Batman, "immediate retrieval is impossible without knowing what is causing his reaction and how to stop its affect. Continue observing Jake Long, but keep contact to a minimum. He is probably being observed. Do not attempt any sort of rescue, and avoid the Dark Dragon at all costs. We don't need them to go into hiding. The Justice League will be consulting with the Dragon Council. Continue to provide regular reports, no matter how tedious or irrelevant, and…"

To Robin's shock, Batman actually let out a sound, almost a sigh, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You probably need to anticipate a guest. You'll know when you see him. If so, contact me immediately. Batman out."

Robin glared at the suddenly blank screen, mind whirling with possibilities and questions – none of which he'd be able to ask his mentor about any time soon, apparently.

An immediate team meeting would be required. The rest needed to be brought up to speed with Jinx and Cyborg's findings and the few precious tidbits Batman had let slip, obviously for a reason.

And, no matter what Batman's orders were, the Teen Titans were not the sort to sit back while a kid was enslaved and going crazy. Not if there was the slightest chance they could help him.

…

Luong Lao Shi was beside himself. He was nervous and jittery and alternated between rage and depression often and without warning.

It was he who had been obligated to inform the Dragon Council that his grandchildren and Jake's friends had been captured by the Dark Dragon. Who had to tell them the American Dragon had entered a flame contract with their most evil enemy.

Who had to explain to his precious daughter Susan and her husband Jonathan – who had only come to grips with being married into a family of dragons a month ago – why their daughter Haley was in the hospital, along with Trixie and Spud, and why Jake would not be home for the foreseeable future. And how, if – No! _when!_ – they brought him back, he would not be the same.

There was no way Jake could still be the same person after over six weeks with that monster. One night had been all that creature needed to suck all the full-loving confidence and arrogance from Lao Shi himself.

He really had thought he'd killed it. He really had _hoped_ he'd killed it. Because the world could not handle a monster like that.

One night. One night of taunting and pain and humiliation and anti-human propaganda. One fight to the death, and Lao Shi had nearly been destroyed himself. It had taken him decades to laugh again, to love again, to enjoy life. And even then, those that had known Lao Shi as the Chinese Dragon before that night could not help but wonder if this was even the same person.

Jake had already been forced to battle the monster, but had had such an incredible lucky streak that Lao Shi had actually begun to believe that red dragons really were blessed by the luck gods. The odds at which Jake had faced off the Dark Dragon had been impossible, but he had pulled it off. Again and again, always finding one last trick up his sleeve. Always with a laugh playing in his eyes.

That legendary luck had run out, and in a most spectacular loss.

Why? Why had the Dark Dragon taken his student, his grandson? That silly, arrogant, cocky, flirtatious, loose-lipped, never listens, insanely creative, stupidly loyal, rebellious, bratty, lazy… _Why_? Why _Jake_?

Why a contract, let alone a flame contract? Why risk the addendums Jake could, _did_, add to the soul binding magical bond? The Dark Dragon had always, always chosen to kill those in opposition to him.

And Jake had opposed him more than anyone.

The whole stupid thing had been a set-up from the beginning to force Jake into that contract. Torturing his precious Haley and those two other human children, the shield to keep himself and Fu Dog out, the oh so calculated timing and spacing between his victims, chained to the furthest wall, and Jake on the far side, weakened and beaten but still in sound mind and far from crippled.

The contract required Jake's flame. Jake had to willingly offer his flame and partake of the goblet's nectar. And he had. As _anyone_ who knew the American Dragon, of his loyalty and self sacrifice, would know he would. Even if he had been warned, all he would see was a way to save his baby sister and best friends.

Lao Shi actually had thanked whatever gods there may be that he had not yet taught Jake of magical contracts. If he had, Jake's actions would've been seen as deliberate betrayal. He would've been abandoned as a traitor. It was only the recent true betrayal of Councilor Chang that kept the remaining councilors from condemning the boy. That allowed the more kind hearted to go through with plans to rescue and free the American Dragon.

But those scales were wobbly, and tipping more in favor of abandoning Jake every day.

It had been with the greatest of reluctance that they formally requested help from Justice League International, and only after Lao Shi had begged for help from Batman and with the recommendations of several 'good' magicians that were members of the JLI. Even then, they had been stingy with providing the leaders of the JLI with information of dragons, to the point of hampering the investigation.

Fu Dog had found that meeting between Lao Shi and Batman hilarious, or at least pretended to, to try distract his old friend from his trauma.

Never in his life had Lao Shi kneeled, certainly not in full dragon form, and more certainly _never _to a costumed, human vigilante.

He still had a hard time believing his own memory. How kind the legendarily cold Batman had been as Lao Shi stumbled over an explanation of the situation, begged him for help, fumbled over explaining that magic wasn't working and he couldn't find _anything_, somehow ending up borderline hysterical, waving his claws and swearing in Chinese (Cantonese, to be specific) how his people were stupid, old fashioned, stubborn, and how his grandson could be either dead or a brainwashed monster himself and he just did not _know_!

He had been fully prepared to be severely punished for revealing their existence and secrets to a human. He certainly had _not _expected that human to invite him into his own cave, offer him tea, and call his own friends quite high up in the magical world's hierarchy to reason with the Dragon Council.

If, _when_, Jake returned, everything would change. He would be broken. Might even need therapy. Probably would never be able to reclaim the mantle of American Dragon. Even if Jake was ever able to take up dragon obligations again, Lao Shi had already been informed that he was disqualified from being his instructor. The Council blamed this entire situation on Lao Shi's negligence in not instructing his pupil properly about traps and contracts.

Lao Shi willingly accepted the ruling, despite Batman and Fu Dog's protests, since he knew the alternative would be accusing Jake.

All that was best case scenario.

Worst case scenario, Jake was already completely brainwashed by the contract, the bond with the Dark Dragon himself. Had completely lost or even abandoned his humanity. Might even have blood on his hands at this point. A dark monster.

The words 'fire dragon' flickered through his mind, but he immediately threw them out, refusing to acknowledge the possibility. There was no reason to conclude something so disgusting, preposterous, just because Jake's dragon form had manifested as red. Jake had loved red since he was a baby, and it had been a good summation of his personality. Lao Shi refused to see anything evil in a coincidental color, especially one so lucky. He would've preferred purple, but red was an honorable alternative.

The Dragon Council and several select magical advisors were currently convening in one of the Watchtower's conference rooms. Lao Shi was sitting on a chair outside the room, a very small figure indeed at three feet, four inches and hunched over, trying not to be overcome with emotion as he awaited the latest verdicts about the Dark Dragon and Jake.

The Batman strode down the hall and set a hand to the doorknob to enter the room.

"You coming in?" he asked gruffly.

"I have no right," said Lao Shi weakly, hunching over more. Feeling even more humiliated at being addressed by the one he had been forced to go to for help.

Batman let go of the handle and set a hand on a hunched shoulder, waiting for the elderly man to look up before continuing.

"We have located your grandson."

Lao Shi's face brightened with hope.

"There are problems."

Then fell again, eyes haunted by nightmares that could be all too real.

"You have every right to hear this." With that, he opened the door and went on in.

"C'mon, Gramps," encouraged Fu Dog gently, rubbing his head against his old friend's foot. After a couple seconds, Lao Shi climbed down from the chair and hurried in, Fu Dog right at his side.

…

_Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed and please review! Things are beginning to shift to a bit more serious of a scale, and I'm very curious how you readers are taking it. Sorry about the lack of action in this chapter, but next chapter we get back to Jake and the Dark Dragon, so hopefully that'll make up for it!_


End file.
